Bernhard Langer is by far the greatest golfer ever to emerge from Germany. He is known for his dedication to the game, his work ethic and his deliberate pace of play. Langer's early childhood was marred by several serious illnesses; in fact, twice before age 5, Langer's life was considered in jeopardy. He was introduced to golf at age 8 when his brother started working as a caddie. Langer took up caddying himself, then got hooked on playing. It wasn't long until he was winning big junior tournaments. And it wasn't long after that that Langer turned pro. In fact, Langer turned pro at age 15 in 1972. Just two years later he won his first professional tournament, the 1974 German National Open Championship. He won the German National again in 1977 and 1979. Over the years, Langer would win the German National a total of 13 times. Langer started playing on the European Tour in 1976, but his Euro Tour career was interruped by 18 months in the German Air Force. He earned his first tour win at the 1980 Dunlop Masters. From that point on, and despite frequent battles with the yips, Langer was among the best players in Europe and among the better players in the world. He led the European Tour money list twice in the first half of the 1980s, won 42 European Tour tournaments and two Green Jackets as Masters champion. Langer is perhaps best known for his Ryder Cup experiences. Along with Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo, Langer helped revitalize European fortunes in the Ryder Cup. He played for the European side 10 times, winning 24 points over the years. It is a half-point Langer didn't win that he was most remembered for prior to 2004. At the 1991 Ryder Cup - the famous War by the Shore" - Langer missed a 6-foot putt on the final hole of the final match against Hale Irwin, halving the match and allowing the U.S. to retain the Cup. In 2004, Langer served a highly successful stint as European captain, leading his squad to its biggest win ever over the U.S. He joined the Champions Tour after turning 50 late in 2007, and won that year's Administaff Small Business Classic. And won many more following, enough to earn Player of the Year honors in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, Langer won five times including the British and U.S. senior opens. "
